Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

Thanks to all of you who have helped me choose a recurve. I chose a 60" CheckMate Falcon, 45#@28". I decided to work on my shooting abilities first with the 45#, and I liked having a reason to buy another bow later. I have decided to stick with aluminum arrows for now. Don't want to overload the amount I need to learn all at once. The bow should be here within 2wks. so I was hoping to be ready to shoot when it arrived.
I have a few dozen arrows of different sizes that I hope to use after having them refletched with feathers. What I have immediately available are 2413 and 2117. Both selections are 31" arrows. Both are listed within the range of the arrow chart I have for a recurve shooting 125gr. head @ 44 to 49#. The 2413 is listed for a 31" arrow showing raw wt. of 322gr. The 2117 is listed for a 30" arrow showing 361gr.
My first question is what length arrow can I expect to need, drawing the above mentioned bow to 29"? Should I expect one of my choices above to shoot well or should I expect to purchase more arrows? Any suggestion on arrows will be more than welcome.
I am having a flemish string made for the bow because it has been suggested by people with more knowledge than myself. What makes a string a "flemish string"?
Does anyone know the suggested brace height for the Falcon?

Normally by this time of year the last thing on my mind is shooting my bow. Now that I have a recurve coming, I can't hardly wait to start shooting. I hope I remain as pumped after I see the reality of learning to shoot instinctive.
Thanks again for all the help.

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

I shoot a CM Raven 47@28" I find my bow "likes" 1916 with a 125 grn head. Cut to 29" and with 5" shield cut feathers. I fletch them with just a litte off set. Of course it will shoot 2018 same set up but I need to adjust my shot.
I would cut your arrows 29.5" from behind point to bottom of nock. But others may dissagree. Thats the fun of it all.

Edited by - Bodkin on 01/08/2002 23:59:37

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

Best of luck with your new bow! I will let the more knowledgeables speakith and learn from there wisdom.....

Your fire will never die in the world of stickbows...it only burns stronger with every new aspect you learn!

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

First, congratulations on your fine purchase. Even though I've never shot that particular CM, I think you are going to like the bow.

Personally, I'd wait until the bow arrives before buying additional arrows. Shoot it for awhile and see what happens to your draw length. A few people don't lose any when shooting traditional equipment and the only true way for you to know if you will or not is to actually shoot the bow. You will be focusing on form and release more than accuracy at first anyway so your old arrows should be fine at first, but then you'll want to get a set made for the bow that will fly well from it. Oh, good idea to get them fletched in feathers.

My lady shoots a 28" 1916 with 125g point from her 45# at her draw CM hunter II with a dynaflight97 flemish twist string. When I shot the bow @50# the bow liked a 55/60 or 29" 2016 both with 125g point. It is really a personal thing as to which arrow your bow will like. If you and another person were shooting the same bow and had the same draw, you would still release the bow differently and would probably use a slightly different arrow spine.

Patience and fun are the key to learning to shoot traditional equipment. If you havn't already done so, buy yourself a book or two on shooting. Try out the different methods and then come up with your own that suits your body and attitude. Or, stick with one you like and works for you. Most of all, have fun. That's what it is all about.

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

Hobbes - Its just my opinion, but once you get your bow, I'd shoot it a few days and get comfortable with it. Comfortable meaning your grip, you release, your form if you will. Then, bare shaft tune that baby ! I had 5 or 6 different aluminum Eastons, and i started at 32" and started cutting them back 1/4" - 1/2" at a time. A 2216 cut to 29 1/4" flies like darts out of my bow, bare shaft. When fletched, I know if they fly bad its because of me, not the arrow (unless it bent :))

Thats the way to find the best shaft for your bow, but for a week or two just shoot what you have and have a little fun bonding with your new bow !

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

Are you using the Easton chart?
It seems to be over spined for traditional shooters. I have had much better luck using this chart for my Checkmate Hunter recurve.

http://home.pmt.org/~kplp/spinechart.html

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

K N - Why I wonder does this chart show a 2016/2018 for my longbow, yet the 2216 flew by far and away better than all other ??? Interesting .....

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

Ok, I had to wonder so I just called Mr Adcock - he said the bow design and the particular way I shoot shouldn't matter, but that what might matter is that by going to a 2216 instead of 2016, I shift the ceter of the arrows on the arrows shelf. How that matters I aint quite sure, but I do know that a bare shaft 2216 flies like darts at where I look and the 2016's and 2018's fly nock left and hit to the right - just goes to show the charts aint always right !:)

Edited by - stealthycat on 01/09/2002 11:48:27

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

You would think that the 2216 being thicker would shift your arrow further away from center. Thus increasing paradox... but I guess not. Oh its soooo much fun,this archery thing.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

for what its worth...

A 2016 is coming in at 61lb spine
the 2216 is coming in at 84lb spine! Just some tidbits to help with your quest.

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

Lilhunter - Doesn't it matter the arrow length ? Mine are cut to 29 1/4&quot; - and they fly like darts bare shaft from a 52# Adcock longbow, tonkin cane limbs. Don't seem possible, but its working very well for me ...

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

those spines are at 28&quot;es. -5 for every inch over 28 (think its the same for alum) and +5 for inch under 28&quot;.


Cant help ya there Stealthy. Just figured I would throw in some tech data, just an FYI. If it works it works, dont change it!!!

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

Dang Stealthycat, a 52# longbow capable of shooting an arrow with a 79# spine. That's something. I thought Black Widow had the copywrites to shooting real heavy arrow spines.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> How do your broadheads fly?

My 54# Crusader shoots a 29&quot; 2016 which is 55-60# and I use Dyna97 string. I bare shafted them and they flew ok. They were a bit stiff, but after fletching and attaching broadheads to the 2016s, they fly perfectly.

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

I have found Kelly's chart to work consistently well for the recurves I have used it on. Only a few sizes are listed on it, so spine ratings he has help because you can find sizes simalar that would work. I am going to try some 2115's, as opposed to 2018's and see how they do.

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

Wahya - I know, don't make sense to me either, thats why I was thinking maybe the way I hold my bow or release ?? Snuffers don't shoot that well, but 2 blade Phantoms do and this afternoon I am going to throw on my new 2 blade Magnus heads and shoot some. Will let you know how they work ....

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

dont forget string type and arra weight! Plus is that cut to center or not?

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

My bow is not centershot, but not far off either. I shot the 125 Magnus - NICE heads. They sharpen quite easily too. They fly true as field points ...

Edited by - stealthycat on 01/11/2002 07:38:36

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

That's all any of us can ask from our weapon, that it's accurate with hunting ammo for us.

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

Hobbes, If your not confused by now you never will be! Actually what your seeing here is just what somebody else has already mentioned and that is the charts are just a good place to start. The arrow sizes you mentioned seem too stiff for your weight of bow but if you have them then try them.

As an arrow gets stiffer the archers paradox mentioned lessens. This means that for a right handed shooter the arrow bends around the bow less and when it straightens out it stays further right because it straightens quicker. A softer arrow bends around the bow, flexes right and then left again bringing it back to the line of sight (hopefully) If it's too soft the flex back to the left goes too far causing the softer arrow to hit left.

Now with all of this wonderful knowledge the only thing that matters is how your arrow flies from your bow with you shooting it and with a broadhead on it. I've been hammered on this site before for saying this but &quot;I&quot; still bare shaft tune all of my bows with my hunting heads on. this is done from 10 feet into a neutral backstop first to see where the nock is and once I'm hitting straight I back up to 5 then 10 and finally 20 yds. If your arrow flies with a broadhead bare shafted I guarantee all other points will fly great.

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

longbowman - No kidding ? I had been told NOT to do that - what happens with a badly spined arrow tipped with a broadhead bare shaft shot ??

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

great advice Longbowman! Guess you start out a little closer then and I and I dont use bhs bareshafting LOL. I did shoot one at a 30 yard bail with a target point. We all knew it was waaaaay over spined but figured what the heck this is all a learning process.....


SNAP goes the weasel LOL! That one was a little humbling too cuz it was one of my fav shafts for my Bob Lee!!!

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

I would never bareshaft with a broadhead unless I was standing alone on an ice floe surrounded by 1/2 mile, ...make that 1 full mile of open water. Have seen too many bareshafts with field points do a complete 90 degree turn in flight. No telling what a broadhead could do.

Jack

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

I borrowed a copy of G Fred Asbells video on instinctive shooting and found this to help dramatically. Watch this before you start shooting and it may help you before you form bad habits. Nobody can argue about how knowledgable Mr Asbell is. Good Luck and welcome aboard.
Eric

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

In all fairness to longbowman, even though I've never bareshafted with a broadhead myself, I have recently met a couple of men that have and still do. It works well for them and obviously does for longbowman too, so who am I to argue.

[Deleted]
 

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RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

I personally do not see any NEED for bare-shafting b.heads-what the hell is the diff?You get an arrow to fly great with the chosen WEIGHT head you intend to use and go for it! Cam <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Thanks & Aluminum arrow selection
 

ah come on Cam, I am the only one here expected to get rude <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>!

Elaborate on that! getting the wt head you want to fly well? this imo is just one way to go about that!